


Silence Suits You

by onegiantdinosaur



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: F/M, Non-Canon Courier, Original Character Companion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 08:41:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18517912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onegiantdinosaur/pseuds/onegiantdinosaur
Summary: Audrey wakes in Goodsprings, no memories but her name. She seeks out the man who dug her from her shallow grave, a retired NCR Ranger with a short fuse and little patience. They'll have to learn how to live together as they track the man who took her voice, and almost took her life.





	1. Goodsprings

She woke to an immense amount of pain in her head. A throbbing, pounding pain like the worst hangover in existence. More pain than she thought she'd ever felt before. But... when she thought, she couldn't think of a time before. Or anything, for that matter. Her whole life up to that point was a big, empty space in her brain. Except one, small detail. A name. Hers, maybe. She wasn't sure.

She had no idea as to where she was. She wiggled her fingers, then her toes. Everything seemed to be intact, despite the pain.

She tried to open her eyes next, and immediately regretted it. A bright, bright ceiling with a fan spinning round and round assaulted her eyes and she closed them. She decided next to sit up, but as she did her blood rushed and turned the pounding pain into a stabbing and pounding pain. She winced.

"You're awake? How 'bout that." A voice said, quietly and with a undertone of amazement. She forced her eyes open again, deciding to deal with the consequences rather than be caught unaware. She willed her eyes to focus on the source of the voice. She saw an older man, with receding hair and a bushy gray mustache and wearing overalls. She moved to stand, but he jerked forward.

"Whoa, easy there. You've been out cold a couple of days. Took a couple of shots to the head, but I took care of it for ya." She blinked at him.

What were the odds she'd be shot in the head within distance of a doctor qualified to save her life? Whoever she was, she was damn lucky.

"Let's see if there's any damage… How about your name. Can you tell me your name?" She thought, and the pain intensified. God, she hoped this wouldn't continue for long. She had things to do, places to be… or at least she did, before the bullets.

"It's alright if you don't remember." He said, softly. "Your kinda injury often makes people forget."

She thought of the one thing she remembered. A name. But was it her name? What if it wasn't? Should she still take it?

She shook her head, and made up her mind. It was the only thing she had left to claim. She'd claim it.

She opened her mouth to tell him, but nothing came out. It startled her. She tried again, and was only met with more pain. She scrunched up in pain, and the doctor stood up.

"Easy. Don't hurt yourself now." He went across the room. "I have a pencil and paper here. Think you could write it out?" She nodded. She'd try.

He brought it over to her at a slow totter. His hands shook slightly as he handed them to her with leathery hands, spotted with age. She took the pencil firmly in her hand and put the tip to paper.

Her head screamed at her as she wrote the letters. Her hands refused to work properly. By the time she finished the first word, she needed a break. Tears streamed down her cheeks. The doctor saw and looked at the paper.

"Audrey, huh?" She shook her head. There was more. She forced herself to write the last name. Her hand shook, and caught the paper. "Audrey Booth. Well, now. That's a fine name." He smiled a yellow, toothy smile at her and gently patted her leg. "You remember anything else, Audrey?" She shook her head. "The bullets you took hit the frontal lobe of yer brain. I'd wager you have some sort of aphasia. Broca's maybe. You seem to be able to write okay…" They both glance at the paper. Audrey can't believe she wrote it, not a young child. "We'll test your readin' later. Could be you might get some of that speech back some day. Don't know for certain." He stood up. "Why don't you lay back down and get some more rest while I scrounge up somethin' to eat." Audrey nodded. The pain had left her head some, and left her feeling drained. She laid back down and closed her eyes briefly.

"Audrey."

The same voice gently roused her. She made a guttural noise in response, and he scoffed a little.

"Sound just like my son." He jokes. "Here, somethin' easy. Easy as it gets nowdays, anyways." He handed her a plate with a small amount of meat, a good helping of beans, and some sliced apple. She sat up slowly and took it from him. Her hand shook as she took it and she nearly flung it everywhere. She would have if the doctor hadn't seen it coming and held it firmly.

"I see your motor skills ain't what they used to be." She opened her mouth again, but remembered and settled for a nod. "Here, set it beside you while ya eat." He handed her a spoon. "Them beans might get a little messy, but you'd best eat as much of 'em as ya can. They've got some good protein in 'em." He opened a bottle of water for her too. She took it eagerly and took a deep drink. "Careful, now," the doctor warned, "don't drink it so fast. Slow sips." She pulled the bottle away and made a face. She picked up a piece of apple and guided it towards her mouth. It hit her nose, first. She frowned and pushed it down into her mouth, and bit. It crunched satisfyingly, and she groaned as the juices reached her tongue. The doctor just laughed.

"Once yer done there, I've got a couple tests I'd like to run. No hurry, though." He left her to her food.

He was right about the beans.

Audrey ended up wearing more than she ate. It frustrated the hell out of her that she couldn't even do this one _simple_ task.

The doctor came back in and grinned at her.

"Don't you worry. Those motor skills will come back with time." He sat across from her, holding a small pack of papers. "Ready?" She nodded. He handed her the paper and the pencil again. "It's important that you're relaxed for this next test, so take a deep breath and try to calm yourself." He shuffled the papers a little. "All right. I'm gonna say a word. I want you to write the first thing that comes to mind. Dog."

She wrote cat.

"House."

_Shelter_.

"Night."

_Dream_.

"Bandit."

_Avoid_.

"Light."

_Dark_.

"Mother."

She felt a light pain in her chest as she wrote the word.

_Regret_.

She handed him the paper. He poured over it for a moment before he looked up and handed it back to her. "Okay. Now I've got a few statements. I want you to tell me how much they sound like something you'd say." She nodded. "First one. 'Conflict just ain't in my nature.'"

She wrote disagree.

"I ain't given to relying on others for support."

_Agree._

**"** I'm always fixing to be the center of attention. **"**

_No opinion._

"I'm slow to embrace new ideas."

_Disagree._

"I charge in to deal with my problems head-on."

She blushed as she wrote. _Strongly agree_.

"Almost done here. What do you say you have a look at this? Tell me what you see."

She stared at each picture and frowned when she had to write out sentences. Her head hurt the worst when she finished, and she was glad to be done.

"Before I turn you loose, I need one more thing from you. I got a form for you to fill out, so I can get a sense of your medical history. Just a formality. Ain't like I expect to find you got a family history of getting shot in the head." She groaned internally and reached for the form. It was a wonder he was able to read any of what she wrote.

She handed him the paper again. He looked at the paper.

"Yep. If there's no history of anybody bein' mute in yer family, and you weren't before, it's most likely aphasia." He put the paper down. "How're you feelin'? I ain't gonna make ya leave if you're not feelin' up to par." She shook her head. She wanted to lay back down and sleep some more.

She pointed at the bed. He laughed softly.

"Alright, lay down and rest. You're gonna need it." She laid her head on the pillow again and tried to get comfortable.

She watched the ceiling fan spin until her eyes grew heavy.

* * *

Not long later, Audrey left Doc Mitchell's house with her previous belongings, a Vault 21 suit on her back, and a promise to come back if her head started to hurt too much. He'd decided she shouldn't leave town yet, definitely not alone.

She winced at the sunlight. It was brighter than the room had been.

Goodsprings was small. She could see the saloon the doc had told her about, where Sunny Smiles was. She had apparently offered to help Audrey out. With what, she didn't know.

She walked to the saloon, and her ears picked up the sound of something metal moving around. She turned, and saw a large metal construct, coming straight at her. She would have screamed if she could.

"Well, looky there." The machine had a southern drawl. An odd thing for a machine to have, but fear had snuck into Audrey's legs and she wasn't listening as much as she was planning an escape route. "Howdy, partner! Good to see yer still kickin'." She relaxed as she observed the machine's odd-but-welcoming, peaceful nature. The doc had mentioned she had two rescuers; what he called a Securitron, and a man. The man he'd not been able to give much information about, other than a rough description and the instructions to talk to Trudy, but the Securitron he'd described pretty well. Audrey was sure this was it, standing in front of her.

Audrey stared at her hands. How would she ask the robot questions? She had her paper and pencil, but she doubted the Securitron could read her horrible writing. She tried to communicate to him her question; 'Where did you find me?' He made no move, other than the flickering of the cartoonish cowboy on the screen in his chassis. She sighed loudly and felt tears come to her eyes. She was trapped in her own body, completely able to comprehend the world around her but unable to participate in it or communicate with others. It frustrated her, and it _scared_ her.

"Oh. Oh, now, look here little missy. Don't you be cryin'." The securitron comforted her. It felt strange. "Why don't you take a deep breath now, and try again."

She did, and the Securitron stood there, all the same. She was about to give up when it spoke up.

"Oh. I see what yer gettin' at now. I found ya up at the old bone orchard. One of them nice NCR types had run off them bad eggs that shot ya and dug ya up. He handed you to me and I hauled ya off to the doc right quick."

So her other savior was NCR. Whatever that meant. She excused herself from the securitron's company to look for Sunny. Maybe she would know where this NCR man was.

Audrey walked into the saloon and looked around. It was dim, but homey, almost. Music played softly from a jukebox in the back corner, and the air smelled somewhat smoky. She heard voices to her left and walked that way, and found a dog sitting in her way. It barked loudly at her and she stumbled back. She saw the bar and scrambled on top of it. She couldn't explain her fear, but she felt deep down in her stomach that dog equaled death. Or pain, at least.

"Cheyenne, _stay_." A woman said, sternly. "Don't worry. She won't bite unless I tell her to." That didn't make Audrey any more at ease. "Really, it's okay. You can get down…" She looked up and saw two people sitting at the bar, one in a booth and another behind the bar. All of them were looking at her. Her cheeks flushed with heat as she hesitantly got down. She looked at the woman who spoke. She seemed to be shorter, like Audrey was, and had brown hair. She was sitting next to a man, one in a green beret. Audrey wanted to talk to him, but the woman drew her attention first.

"I'm Sunny, Sunny Smiles. You must be the courier from a few nights ago. Doc said he'd send ya my way if you pulled through. I guess you did… well, there's a thing or two I could show you. Sounds like you need all the help you can get after what they done to you. Meet me outside, behind the saloon." Audrey nodded and followed after Sunny. She turned to the man.

"I'll be back in a while, Adam."

The man grunted and went back to his drink.

* * *

Adam watched the two women round the corner, and heard the door open and close. He sighed.

So she pulled through. He huffed. Kind of amazing. She was barely alive when he'd pulled her out of that shallow grave. She was covered in so much blood, he couldn't tell where the blood ended and the girl began.

"You did a mighty fine thing for that girl, Adam." Trudy said as she wiped down the bar. Her radio sat next to him. He'd yet to take a look and try to fix it from the incident with the men he'd chased off two nights prior. "If you'd have been any later, she may not have made it."

"Yeah." He sighed. He wasn't sure why he had done it in the first place. She looked green, too green to be wandering the wastes alone. Sunny would only be able to teach her so much, and if she went out again, she wouldn't survive the next bullet to the head.

No one's that lucky.


	2. All Bark, No Bite

Audrey turned up her nose at the gecko Sunny was hunched over. This was a lesson in how to prepare your own kills, one that Audrey was _not_ enjoying.

She nearly threw up at the smell that came when Sunny gutted the creature, and the entrails spilled out on the ground. And the sound. Oh, God, the sound. Audrey swallowed hard.

"You're looking a little green around the gills." Sunny smirked at her. She nodded and looked away. "I reckon you'll be around town a while… Why don't we continue this tomorrow. I'll bet that gecko Cheyenne scared off will be back." The dog barked loudly at her name, and Audrey flinched. The dog really did seem friendly, but Audrey's mysteriously fearful disposition to dogs overrode her senses and kept her a safe distance from the canine.

"Promise she won't bite ya." Sunny cocked a hip. "She likes her chin scratched. You do that and you'll be the best of friends…" Audrey shook her head and took a step back. Sunny sighed and shook her head. "Alright. You can head back, if ya like. I need to finish gutting this. Do you remember the way back?" Audrey shrugged. She thought she did but she hesitated at the idea of her walking alone, and not being able to shout or scream for help. "Alright. Cheyenne knows the way, just follow her." Sunny looked at the dog. "Cheyenne, go home. Take Audrey home." The dog barked and started to trot towards town. Audrey shuffled to catch up.

Sunny understood her better than the Securitron had, but not by much. But with all the shooting they had to do, the pencil-paper method didn't work. She was lucky none of the geckos managed to bite her.

It scared her that she had no other way to communicate. If a gecko had bitten her, there was no guarantee she could indicate to Sunny, or anyone else for that matter, that something was wrong.

The walk back to town was long, but uneventful. Cheyenne was well trained, and she lead Audrey right back to the saloon. Audrey stepped away from the dog warily and opened the front door. Something brushed up against her leg and she nearly shot straight up straight into the ceiling. Cheyenne pushed past her and into the room, flipped around and barked at her. She pushed herself up flat against the door and closed her eyes. Cheyenne barked again and came closer. She whimpered and pressed back more.

"Cheyenne!" A gruff voice shouted, which caused the dog to turn. The sharp tenor of his voice startled her and made her jump. She turned and shrunk against the door. The man who had sat at the bar now stood, staring at her. The dog rushed him and sat excitedly at his feet. He leaned down and rubbed the dog's head. "Where's Sunny?" He asked.

Audrey shook. He was taller than her. Wider. Bulkier. Her heart raced up her throat. Blood drained from her face. She scrambled backwards and dove under one of the booth's tables, smacking her hip on the chair as she did.

"Hey!" He shouted, and she heard him coming after her. She whimpered and stayed where she was. He would be too big to fit there with her.

Cheyenne wasn't, though, and she stepped in to sniff Audrey. Audrey whimpered audibly and pulled her knees to her chest.

" _Where's. Sunny._ " The man growled. She shook her head and closed her eyes, waiting to be yanked out of her hiding spot.

Just then, the door opened. Audrey saw the light flood in. The dog backed out from under the table and barked happily.

"Who wants gecko steaks!" Sunny questioned happily. "Adam?" Her tone changed. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything." He growled. "She came back with your dog. I worried she'd done something to you and she didn't answer me when I asked where you were."

"Well where is she?" Sunny asked, sounding irritated.

Audrey heard footsteps and cracked open her eyes. Sunny crouched and stared at her.

"Sorry, Audrey. Adam can be a big meanie, huh?" She offered Audrey her hand. "It's okay, though. He's all bark, no bite."

Audrey eyed her hand warily before hesitantly taking it. Sunny helped her out from under the table.

"You're pretty jumpy." Sunny grinned. "Adam got you, Cheyenne gets you… I bet Trudy could scare your socks off." She smiled at her. "Speaking of Trudy… she's been wanting to meet you. Come on." She pulled Audrey gently around the corner. Audrey wanted to resist. Whoever this Trudy was, they didn't sound pleasant when compared to the dog and the man. But they rounded the corner, and the only person in sight was a woman-older than her, and definitely older than Sunny- who was cleaning glasses behind the bar. She looked up and saw them, and smiled.

"Well, now. You've been causing quite a stir. Glad I finally got to meet you; _Someone's_ told me a bit about you... Welcome to the Prospector Saloon." She glanced behind her. Adam had slumped into a booth far behind them. "I'm so glad to hear you're up and about. The nerve of those scumbags… I wish Adam'd been able to hit 'em. Who goes around shooting young women like that?" She scoffed. Audrey's head started to hurt worse, and she felt herself sway slightly. Sunny and Trudy both noticed.

"Why don't you head on back to Doc's?" Trudy spoke softly. It was less a suggestion, and more a command, Audrey thought, and she agreed. She nodded and headed out the door, back to Doc Mitchell's house. She was looking forward to food, and then a long, well deserved nap.

* * *

Adam watched the woman walk out of the saloon and stood up. He walked to where Sunny and Trudy stood.

"Did I hear right earlier, that you scared the poor girl?" Trudy put her fists to her hips and cocked her hip to one side.

"He put her under the table." Sunny nodded. Adam glared at her.

" _Adam_! That's not very nice." Trudy scolded.

"I don't appreciate you tag-teaming me." Adam pointed at the two women. "Look, she was jumpy, okay? She was as soon as she saw me. It was a mistake. I yelled at her because Sunny didn't come back with her and Cheyenne."

"Aww. That's sweet, Adam, but I can handle myself." Sunny smiled up at him. He rolled his eyes.

"She could have got the drop on you." Sunny gave him a look.

" _Her?_ " Sunny snorted. "Adam, she barely hit any of the bottles out back, and she killed _one_ gecko. _I think I can take her._ "

"Don't underestimate your opponent." Adam replied gruffly. Never underestimate your opponent. He learned that the hard way, more than once.

"She's not my _opponent_ , Adam. She's a girl who was shot in the head and who needs all the help she can get." Sunny snapped a little. Adam shook his head.

"I'm worried about her." Trudy sighed. "Sure, Doc's keeping her close for a few days, but as soon as she leaves, the Mojave is going to eat her up." She shook her head. "Would be a waste of good life."

"We don't know it's a good one." Adam commented. Both women glared at him. "It's a valid point, okay? None of us know her."

"Maybe I'll convince her to set up here." Sunny mused. "Have her move in next door to me." Adam scoffed.

"She'll never answer the door. She'll jump under the table and cry until you go away." Sunny elbowed him in the side.

"Those bullets left her _mute_ , shit-for-brains." Adam frowned. Oh. Chalk that up on things he wished he'd known before he spoke. Guess it wouldn't be considered rude not to answer people if it wasn't possible.

He wondered just how much of his foot he could shove in his mouth.

The front door flew open, and slammed shut, which startled all three of them. The dog turned, bared her teeth, and growled at the man who entered. He was dressed in prison clothes. Adam hovered his hand by his hip. A Powder Ganger, in town… only one person responsible for that. Ringo. Suave bastard, got the whole town caught in his mess.

Adam kept his eyes on the man.

" _What are you doing in here?_ " Trudy scowled. "You're not welcome here."

"I'm here to give you fuckers a warning." He sneered. "Name's Joe Cobb. I want you to remember that, because if you don't hand over that fucker Ringo, we'll _burn_ him out of this fuckin' dump." Adam scowled.

" _We'll keep that in mind_. Now, if you're not going to buy something, _get out_." Trudy snapped, and pointed to the door. Joe Cobb turned and made his way to the door, but not before sneering at Adam.

The door slammed before they spoke again. Trudy sighed and rubbed her face.

"We ought to just throw Ringo out." Adam said, earning more glares. "He's caught the whole town in his problem and it's turning dangerous."

"Well I think we should fight. Joe Cobb talks about leaving us alone if we hand over Ringo, but I _know_ his type. He and his friends will come after the town eventually. We need to nip this in the bud." Adam shook his head. He was the most experienced fighter in town, with Sunny just behind him. And she mostly shot _geckos_. The Powder Gangers were people- _terrible people_ , at that, but still _people_.

"I was planning on sitting this one out, but… That was the last straw. No Powder Ganger is going to raze Goodsprings. Not if I can help it." She shook her head. "Let me have a word with a few other folks and I'll see if I can't round up some more members for this militia we're creating. It would be great if Chet would offer up some supplies to help." Sunny and Trudy both looked at Adam.

"What?" He blinked at them, before their intentions were made very clear. " _Seriously_?"

"Chet's a little frightened of you. You'll have a better chance of convincing him." Sunny smirked. Adam rolled his eyes.

"Doubt that. Sniveling little shit is persistent… Why don't _you_ convince Easy Pete to hand over some dynamite?" Sunny laughed.

"We all know he doesn't trust anybody but _himself_ with his dynamite." She bit her lip.

"Chet just doesn't want to take a loss if anybody actually ends up _needing_ that armor." Adam rolled his eyes. "… _Coward_..." He shook his head, again.

"Speaking of finding help," Trudy hummed, "what about _her_?"

"It'd be better to leave her with Doc Mitchell… She's in no condition to fight." Trudy and Sunny shared a look.

"I wouldn't turn down the help if she offered it. Who knows how many Powder Gangers Cobb will throw at us. One more person could make it or break it for us..."

"Yeah. Why don't you go ask her, Adam?" Trudy smiled. Adam gave her a sour look.

"Sounds like a great idea. Go check on her." Sunny elbowed his ribs.

" _Fine_." He grumbled.

* * *

Audrey groaned as Doc Mitchell woke her up for the _third_ time that day. She glared at him through slitted eyelids.

"Ya got a visitor." Doc grinned. Audrey cocked her head at him. A visitor? Who? Sunny?

All Audrey wanted was to rest. Everyone told her she needed to, and yet her rest had been interrupted. Again. Why would someone visit now? She shook her head.

If it was Sunny, it was probably important.

She sat up slowly. The pounding pain in her head threatened to break through her skull.

Doc lead her around the corner and into his living room. A familiar figure stood in front of the couch. She jumped back quickly, and bumped into the doc.

"Careful, now!" He grumbled, grabbed her shoulders and gently held her to the spot. "Got a bum knee, ya know…" Audrey tried to back up further. Panic built in her throat.

"Look, I, uh. Sorry about earlier. My name's Wes. Adam Wes." Adam rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor. "Was wondering if you wanted to help Goodsprings with a criminal problem." Audrey relaxed a little. She stared at him. He stared back for a second. She held up a finger and ran inside to grab her pencil and paper. When she returned, she showed him the piece that said her name, the one she'd written just that morning.

"Audrey Booth, huh?" He nodded. She flipped the page and wrote a sentence.

_'What criminal problem?'_

He read the sentence slowly.

"Oh." He straightened up. "This guy Ringo's got the town mixed up in his problems with the Powder Gangers. We're fixing to fight 'em." He avoided her eyes. "…Sunny 'n' Trudy wanted me to ask if you'd help."

She stared at him for a moment, before nodding.

Goodsprings had been good to her. She would do this for them.

Adam's lips stretched into a thin line. He didn't seem to be happy with her. She guessed he was still upset from her reaction earlier that day. Fine by her- _She_ wouldn't forgive him any time soon, either. He nearly drove her into a panic attack. Something told her they were frequent, that she'd had plenty before, but she knew she hadn't had any since her getting shot in the head, and anger rose in her stomach at the thought of him almost breaking that streak, and she'd just woke from surgery that morning. She put her paper and pencil aside and stomped past him. The setting sun stabbed at her eyes and she winced. Even at dusk it was too hot.

Adam stepped up beside her and sighed.

"We gotta go talk to Ringo. Those Gangers will be back soon, and he's the only one who's not filled in." He said evenly before starting up the hill, towards a derelict gas station.

The man inside was calm, calmer than a man on the run should have been. But he had a gun, and it was pointed at Adam.

" _Easy_ , Ringo…." Adam warned.

"You come to kill me? Get rid of me so there'll be no more problems? I _know_ Cobb came into town." The gun in his hand shook. "I'm ready for you, Adam. Try me. I'll fuck you up." Ringo's eyes fell on her. They were nice eyes, but he couldn't mask the panic. "And what's she doing here? Did you bring her along, hope she'd distract me? Soften me up?"

"Put the gun down, Ringo. I'm going to help you with the Powder Gangers. She is too." Ringo scoffed.

" _Yeah_. Wes, the _helpful_ guy. You gonna help me like you _'helped'_ those other guys? Fuck you. How do I know you aren't going to shoot me when my back is turned?"

"I guess you're just gonna have to trust me." Adam growled. Ringo shook his head and scoffed.

"That's the thing, Wes. I _don't_ trust you. I trust Sunny. Hell, I trust _her_ more than I trust _you_." Audrey felt a little pleased with that comment.

"Look, Ringo. If I was going to kill you, you'd be dead already." Adam hissed. "And her? She's a wildcard; she doesn't even remember who she is!"

"Yeah, well." He looked at Audrey, really looked at her. "I talked to _her_ on my way into town." Audrey's legs waivered a bit. _What?_ "She was nervous, but nice. We talked a bit." She perked up. Adam noted and turned to Ringo.

"'Bout what?"

"Well, she told me she'd been a courier since she came West, almost 5 years ago."

"Came West. As in, from the East." Adam looked at her with an emotion she couldn't place. "How far east?"

"Midwest, I think."

"Huh." He spared her a glare and turned. "Well, I need to prepare and she needs to get back to Doc's-" Audrey rushed over to Ringo and hugged him. It was the only way she could think of to thank him for the first real information about who she was, before. He tensed at the contact and exhaled like he'd been hit in the stomach, but after a short pause, she felt his hands gently brush her back.

"Okay. When you're done hugging, we can all hold hands and sing kumbaya. And when the Gangers come, maybe they'll join us, _instead of blowing us to pieces_." Adam deadpanned. Audrey pulled back. Ringo smiled at her. Adam pointed his finger at Ringo.

"Be ready to fight. We're doing this for _your_ sorry ass."

"I'm not a coward, Adam. I can and will hold my own. Just don't throw me to the wolves." Adam grabbed Audrey's wrist and pulled her towards the door. They stepped out, and he let her go as quickly as he'd grabbed her.

"From back east, huh?" Adam said after a few steps. Audrey shrugged. She'd left her pad of paper at the Doc's house. "Doesn't make me feel much better about you." He said, kicking up a little bit of dirt. "But I guess I feel better knowing you were just a courier." Audrey narrowed her eyes at him. He didn't notice.

"Anyways… go get some rest. We'll call on you when they arrive." He walked her to the door. She nodded and stepped inside. Doc Mitchell was waiting up for her, a book in hand. He looked up as she walked in.

"How'd it go?"

She shook her head. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep.

"That bad, huh?" She shook her head again. "Well, go get some rest. We can talk about it later." He went back to his book, and she climbed back in bed.

* * *

Adam kept watch through his scope, waiting for the first sign of Powder Gangers, as he had for the last three and a half hours. He could see Sunny from his perch on top of the saloon. She was keeping watch, too, with Cheyenne laid at her feet.

A loud explosion quickly drew his attention. He whipped towards the road into town, and saw six men. One had thrown a stick of dynamite at the Goodsprings sign. Scorched earth and splinters of wood were all that was left of it.

Adam looked through his scoped rifle and counted. There were six, for sure, and Cobb was with them. He started to aim for him, when he saw one getting closer to Sunny. He switched and aimed for the shirtless convict, and pulled the trigger.

The bullet ripped through his shoulder. Adam fired again, and hit the man in the chest. He dropped. Adam turned to aim at Cobb again, but couldn't see him anymore. He cursed and moved to get down from the roof.

Gunshots rang out. Adam looked for the source and saw Ringo and Audrey coming down the hill. Ringo was firing at the Powder Gangers, and Audrey had her little pistol in her hands. Her shots popped off in quick succession, but from what Adam could tell, none hit their mark. He sighed and pulled out his rifle, and advanced towards the Powder Gangers.

In front of the saloon, Trudy led a small contingency of townspeople, Easy Pete among them. Chet was absent, but that didn't surprise Adam. He pulled up his rifle as a Ganger came close to the group, but before he could pull the trigger, the Ganger fell. He looked up and saw Trudy reload. He turned back to the remaining three. Cobb was still missing, and likely not among those already dead. Adam glanced around, but another stick of dynamite blew, this time knocking Ringo back. The Ganger who threw it ran forward to finish him off. Adam sprinted forward.

Audrey threw herself in front of a prone Ringo and fired her gun. Each shot hit - at that range, she would have had to been blind to miss - but the hits weren't lethal, nor did they slow him down much. Adam stopped and pulled his rifle up to make the kill shot. He looked down his sights, aimed for the head, and squeezed the trigger.

The Ganger's head exploded, spraying Ringo and Audrey both. He crossed the distance between them quickly. As he arrived, Ringo was starting to sit up some. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead down the left side of his face.

"Are you okay?" A gunshot echoed out, and he turned in time to see another Ganger fall in front of Easy Pete.

"I'll live." Ringo grumbled. Adam held out his hand, and Ringo took it. As he helped him to his feet, a shot whizzed past them. Adam recognized it as coming from a laser pistol. He spotted Cobb behind Ringo, taking cover behind the corner of one of the houses.

"Sh-Shit!" Ringo stood up and rushed past him. Adam turned and fired off a few shots Cobb's way to keep him pinned.

"Ringo were you hit?" He spared a short glance his way.

"No, I'm fine, but it grazed her arm. Looks bad." Ringo's voice shook. Adam fired more shots Cobb's way, and took a few steps that direction.

"Sunny!" He shouted. "I could use some help with this one!"

"Little busy here!" She replied, followed by gunshots. Adam dodged as Cobb fired off another laser.

Cobb ducked back behind the house as Adam fired off more shots. He broke through the line of fire and fired his pistol quickly as he went for new cover. Adam hid behind an old fence post and felt a shot fly past him.

"Stop- _Hey_!"

Adam heard Ringo shout, followed by popping behind him and glanced back. Audrey rushed forward with her left arm held to her chest. She held her pistol in one hand and fired it in Cobb's direction.

"Are you _stupid_? Get behind cover!" He shouted at her. She ignored him and rushed forward. He looked towards where Cobb was hiding and saw him pop out from behind the wall. Audrey fired off a few more shots, but an empty clip forced her to reload. Cobb took the opportunity to come out from behind his cover. He fired off a single shot before Adam fired at him, forcing him back behind the cover. Audrey had reloaded by then, and rushed straight for the house. Adam watched her run around the corner and heard gunshots. He left his cover and ran for the house. He vaulted a fence, and sped to the house. Just around the corner, he let out a breath and stopped.

Audrey was standing over Cobb's body, holding her 9mm in shaky hands as she breathed hard. He strode up to her and looked.

Cobb had six bullet holes in his torso. Adam looked at Audrey, who still had the gun aimed at the body.

"No wonder I had to pull you out of your own fucking grave." He breathed, looking at the body. "You're a motherfucking _idiot_." His words seemed to strike a nerve, and she turned towards him. Her glare could melt metal. Adam glared right back.

"Anyone who rushes into laser fire is just _begging_ to be killed."

Audrey opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again and scowled. She shoved past him and stomped away.

" _Moron_ …" he huffed under his breath. He had no doubt; She'd be dead days after leaving town. Fighting like that, he was surprised she lived long enough to survive being shot in the head.

Adam looked down at Cobb and sighed. He grabbed the body by an ankle and drug it around the corner. In front of the saloon, the others seemed to be celebrating their victory. Audrey and Ringo stood to one side of the group. Adam marched towards them with the body in tow.

" _S_ - _Sorry_." He heard Ringo as he neared the duo. Audrey winced again as Ringo continued to examine the laser burn on her arm.

"This is why we have a doctor in town, Ringo." He said as he approached. "Stop poking at her, you'll make it worse." He dropped the body. Ringo turned to look at him, and saw the body.

"Jesus Christ, Adam-"

"You _owe_ Goodsprings." He growled. "You were the one who pulled us into your mess, and we got you out of it."

"I'm grateful for everything this town's done for me." Ringo sighed. "I can't repay the kindness that was shown to me, but… maybe I can get the Crimson Caravan to make more stops through here. It'll take some convincing, but I think I can present a good case." Adam glanced at Audrey. She refused to look at him.

"Hope so. God knows this place needs the trade." He held out his hand. Ringo blinked at it, then took his hand and they shook. "We just went through all this trouble to keep you alive. Don't waste our efforts and die on the way home."

Ringo's lips pulled up at the corner as he stared at Adam.

"Yeah. Sure thing." Ringo turned and looked towards Audrey. "C'mon, I'll walk you to the Doc's."

Adam ignored them as he made his way into the saloon. The celebration had moved inside too, but his spot at the bar was waiting for him, as were Sunny and Trudy.

As he sat down, a bottle was set in front of him. He looked up.

"On the house." Trudy smiled. "You did a mighty fine thing today, Adam. Ringo's safe, the town's safe, and that good-for-nothing Cobb won't be botherin' us anymore."

"Yep." Adam sighed. He picked up the bottle and took a drink.

As he put it down, he noticed two pairs of eyes watching him. He grumbled under his breath.

" _What are you two getting at_." He eyed Trudy and Sunny, who were both giving him the look that told him they were going to ask him to do something he wouldn't like.

" _Well_ …" Trudy started, half shrugging.

"She's leaving town soon, Adam." Sunny gripped the bar. "You _know_ the Mojave's going to swallow her up the minute she leaves."

"Not my problem." Adam took another drink.

"Oh, so you saved her life in the first place, but you wouldn't do it again?" He glared at her. "What? I'm not asking you to follow her to the ends of the Earth… Just take her to Freeside, or Vegas, Novac even. Somewhere she can hire help." Adam sighed. "Please, Adam."

"Why can't she go with _Ringo_?" Adam stared at his beer.

"'Cause he's leaving today." Sunny looked away. "Said so after it was all said and done."

"And we'd both feel a lot better if she left with you." Trudy added. Adam groaned.

"You were going to go to Camp McCarran anyways, weren't you?"

"Yeah; _Alone_." Adam took a long drink. To get a shot at _that_ bastard, he'd have to join up with the NCR again. And he knew they wouldn't turn him down. Who in their right mind would turn down a former Ranger, especially with Caesar breathing down their necks again?

He put his drink down and sighed loudly.

"I'll take her to Freeside, and that's _it_. Not a step further." Sunny and Trudy shared a look before smiling. Sunny reached over and wrapped him in a hug.

"Thank you, Adam." Adam sighed and hoped her really wouldn't regret this later.

"You're welcome."

* * *

"Why'd you do that?"

Audrey turned to Ringo as they walked up the hill to Doc Mitchel's house.

"Run at Cobb, I mean. Adam was right- you could have got hurt a lot worse."

Audrey shrugged. She wasn't exactly sure why she'd done it. When Cobb shot her in the arm, she just… got really _angry_. She didn't even really remember running forward. The time between her getting shot and when Adam was yelling at her was a blur.

"Well, I appreciate that you were so willing to help me, a complete stranger, while you're dealing with your own problems." Audrey nodded and smiled at him.

They stopped at the fence just outside the house. Ringo put his hands in his pockets.

"Well, I guess this is where we part ways." Audrey looked at him. "I gotta get back to headquarters, let the Crimson Caravan know what happened." He held out his hand for her to shake. She ignored it and hugged him. He chuckled.

"Look me up if you're ever passing through." She nodded, and released him. He smiled at her and turned to go back down the hill. Audrey turned towards Doc Mitchell's house and saw the doctor watching her from the door.

"Battle went well, then?" He asked gruffly. She nodded and walked up to the house. She turned and pointed at the burn on her arm. His brows furrowed.

"I was hopin' I wouldn't have to treat ya for injuries again so soon." He stepped aside. "Better come on in."

Doc Mitchell injected a stimpak into her arm and put a bandage over the burn. Audrey reached for her paper and pencil and wrote out a question. She showed it to Doc.

_'Do I have brain damage?'_

Doc Mitchell read her note and gave her a look.

"Yeah, I'd say so. Your inability to speak would indicate that. Why'd ya ask?"

_'I got angry and couldn't remember shooting Cobb.'_

Doc nodded and looked up into her eyes.

"Don't surprise me… brain injuries like yours have been known to do things like that. Not uncommon to see unexplained or unprecedented mood swings or recklessness, or even a regression in fine motor skills, which we've seen already." Audrey felt herself blush as she recalled her earlier troubles with eating. "There ain't much we can do about it but give ya time to heal."

Audrey picked up her pencil again.

_'Do you think I'll ever be able to talk again?'_

She held up her paper. Doc read it, and sighed.

"Truth be told, I don't know. I doubt you'll ever be back to normal, but I wouldn't get yer hopes up. Better to adjust to it than wait for something that may never happen." She nodded and sighed.

_'I want to leave town soon.'_ She wrote, and showed the doctor.

"How soon?"

_'Two days. No more. I need to move on.'_

Doc Mitchell nodded and left the room. He returned with a small box.

"I was gonna give this to you sooner, but the past few days have been rough." He handed her the box. It held a slip of paper and a knife. "Found these on ya. I'd hoped it would point me to next of kin."

She pulled the paper from the box and read it.

_"INSTRUCTIONS:_

_Deliver the package at the north entrance to the Vegas Strip, by way of Freeside. An agent of the recipient will meet you at the checkpoint, take possession of the package, and pay for the delivery. Bring the payment to Johnson Nash at the Mojave Express agency in Primm._

_Bonus on completion: 250 caps._

_MANIFEST:_

_This package contains:_

_One (1) Oversized Poker Chip, composed of Platinum_

_CONTRACT PENALTIES:_

_You are an authorized agent of the Mojave Express Package until delivery is complete and payment has been processed, contractually obligated to complete this transaction and materially responsible for any malfeasance or loss. Failure to deliver the proper recipient may result in forfeiture of your advance and bonus, criminal charges, and/or pursuit by mercenary reclamation teams. The Mojave Express is not responsible for any injury or loss of life you experience as a result of said reclamation efforts."_

She blinked.

"Was all ya had on ya when you was brought in, other than your 9mm and some ammo."

Audrey read the paper again, and paled. There wasn't a platinum poker chip in the box. She didn't know where Freeside was but she knew it wasn't here.

Whoever shot her must have taken it, and according to this paper, she was still responsible for it.

"What's the matter?" Doc looked at her. She pointed to the clause on the paper. He nodded. "Oh. Yep, there was no chip on ya when ya came in. Wonder if the thugs that shot ya stole it."

Audrey nodded. That was the conclusion she'd come to. She grabbed her pencil again. If they'd stolen it, they already had a huge head start. She needed to leave sooner, before their trail got cold.

_'I need to leave tomorrow.'_


	3. Goodbye, Goodsprings

Audrey looked over what few belongings she had and sighed. The thought of chasing after the people who'd hurt her was daunting. Everyone she'd talked to had mentioned it was multiple assailants. She figured that was true, but couldn't remember anything from before she woke up in Doc's house.

What she did know was that she was one person, and they'd already gotten the drop on her.

A knock at the door drew her attention.

Doc Mitchell had gone to Chet's for something, so it was just her in the house.

She walked over to the door and opened it. She reflexively jumped back when she saw Adam standing on the other side. She reached for the door and went to shut it.

"Booth, wait-" He threw his hand and caught the edge of the door before she could shut it in her face.

She glared at him as he pried the door open. "I came to make you an offer."

She wanted so badly to shout at him, to slam the door in his face and ignore him. To tell him off, especially after all the insults he'd spewed at her the day before.

She settled for her coldest glare and crossed her arms.

"I know you'll be leaving town soon." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "As it turns out, I'm heading to Camp McCarran… and I don't know where you're going but… I'd take you to Freeside, if you're interested. The Followers of the Apocalypse have a base of operations there. They might be able to help you."

Audrey held up her finger and walked back into the house. She quickly located her pencil and paper and walked back. Her head ached from her quick movements.

 _'I'm leaving today.'_ She showed him the paper.

"Today?" He blinked at her. "Why?"

 _'Have to chase the men who shot me.'_ Writing was now working against her, making her head hurt worse. Her stitches throbbed. _'Stole chip. I'm responsible for it. Have to get it back.'_

Adam stared at her blankly as she assumed he was processing the new information.

"Oh." He looked down at the floor. Audrey assumed he was done and put her hand to the door. His head shot up. "It's earlier than I wanted to leave, but I'm flexible."

Audrey's hand twitched as she started to write a rejection, but stopped. Maybe she'd be better off with him tagging along. He'd managed to scare her assailants away before; Maybe the two of them would be enough of a match for them.

She scratched out the beginnings of the rejection and penned a new sentence.

_'We leave in two hours.'_

Adam read the note and nodded.

"Meet me outside the saloon when you're ready."

* * *

Adam walked back to the saloon. The only sound around him was the crunch of his boots in the rocky sand, which echoed in his head like gunfire. He'd expected a little more time to hang around town.

He looked up and saw Doc Mitchell making his way down the steps of the saloon. He looked up and straightened up. As Adam approached, he realized the doctor was in fact heading for him.

"Oh, good. I was hopin' to catch ya before ya left town." Doc Mitchell smiled.

"How do you know I'm leaving town?"

The doctor chuckled.

"Trudy let me know you was plannin' to ask Audrey to leave with you." Adam narrowed his eyes at the saloon. "Here. It'll be more useful with you than sittin' on a shelf, gathering dust." He looked down as the doc handed him a hardbacked book, still in moderately good condition. There were illustrations of hands on the front.

"What's this?" He looked up. Doc Mitchell smiled.

"It's an old pre-war book. It's all about a pre-war language often used by the deaf 'nd mute, called sign language." Adam stared at the book as he held it away from himself.

"Why give this to me, and not her?"

"Does her no good if she's the only one who knows it." He patted Adam's arm and smiled. "Ya take good care of her, now, ya hear me?" He started towards his house, leaving Adam alone in front of the saloon.

After a few moments, he went inside. Trudy was waiting at the bar, as usual. He took a seat in front of her and sighed.

"So?" She put down the glass she was cleaning. "How'd it go?"

"We're leaving today." He looked up at her.

"So soon?" Trudy's face fell.

"Booth's going after the men who shot her. Said they stole something and she's still responsible for it." He ran his fingers along the spine of the book.

"Oh. Well, I suppose that makes sense."

Adam looked up at Trudy and squinted.

"Trudy, _please_ tell me they didn't take the 15."

"That's the way they came to town, but from the way they were arguing, I don't think they left that way." Trudy set down a glass and poured Adam some whiskey. He took it and sipped.

" _Thank God_." Adam closed his eyes and let out a breath. Taking Audrey through Quarry Junction would be suicide. He knew from experience that he could take on one lone deathclaw.

His fingers brushed over three long scars on his right forearm; A daily reminder not to bite off more than he could chew. His mind drifted to the uncomfortable amount of time he'd spent in Doc Mitchell's care when he visited Goodsprings the first time.

Doc Mitchell was known for a short list of miracles, even before saving the woman with two bullets in her head.

Trudy's voice pulled him back to the present moment.

"That guy in the checkered coat… he was real sweet with words, Adam. I saw through his silver tongue, but maybe Audrey didn't. Don't let her make the same mistake twice." Trudy's eyes held his gaze.

"I won't, Trudy." He looked down at the counter and swirled the drink in his hand. "I imagine Mr. Checkered-Coat is going to come down with a sudden case of bullets-to-the-face when we find him." He finished his drink quickly and tucked the book under his arm. Trudy smiled weakly at him as he stood.

"Make sure you say goodbye to Sunny before you leave town."

Adam scoffed.

"I don't think I _could_ leave without saying goodbye. She'd track me down and beat me to a pulp."

"We're going to miss ya 'round here." Trudy blinked rapidly, Adam presumed to keep the tears from flowing. "Don't you go and die on us, ya hear?" He nodded.

"Those Legion bastards won't catch me sleeping."

* * *

Audrey stood watch while Adam said his goodbyes to Sunny on the road out of Goodsprings. Neither spoke much, or even looked at each other more than a few mournful glances.

"Think you'll be heading our way again?" Sunny looked up from her boots. Adam sighed.

"Maybe when this is all over. Any sooner-" Adam paused, "I hope I won't have to come sooner than that."

"We can handle ourselves against a few slavers, Adam. Don't worry about us." Sunny crossed her arms and held them close to her chest. Beside her, Cheyenne whined. "Stay safe, okay?"

Adam nodded.

"I will. You stay safe, too."

Sunny nodded, her eyes looking back down at her boots. Cheyenne barked, then whined again. Adam crouched low and gave the dog a long pet.

"Take care of everybody while I'm gone, okay?"

Cheyenne barked softly, and Adam smiled. He patted her head before standing. He turned to Audrey.

"Alright. I'm ready to move out." Audrey nodded. Adam and Sunny shared a quick hug, and after they finished, Audrey and Adam started down the road towards Primm.

As they walked, an impregnable silence hung over them. Audrey wanted to break it herself - start up a conversation with her new companion, ask him some questions, but she was forced to settle for the radio in her PipBoy.

She kept the volume low, worried that if it were too loud, it might attract unwanted attention. From dangers around them, or Adam himself.

So far, the radio was the best feature on her PipBoy. The map would be useful, yes. And the V.A.T.S. system would be, too, if she could get her hands to work properly and stop shaking so much when she aimed. And the Geiger counter, that was _very_ important.

But the radio… she would miss that most, if she ever lost her PipBoy.

She didn't care much for Mr. New Vegas, just the music. It was nice to fill hours of alone time with sound.

"… Is that _Jingle Jangle Jingle_?" Adam turned to glance at her. She nodded. Her hand reached to turn off the radio.

"Turn it up a little." He turned back to the road. Audrey stared at the back of his head in shock, but did as he asked.

* * *

Adam stayed silent as they walked the broken asphalt. The very quiet music coming from the PipBoy behind him was enough to dull the awkward silence he felt whenever he was around the girl whose arm it clung to.

He'd never been one for conversation, and with her, he did all the talking. Sure, she replied with her little pencil and pad, but being the only person audibly speaking was a new and uncomfortable experience for him.

Adam slowed as they reached a sign for Jean's Skydiving, and turned right to continue on the road. Audrey followed behind him, moving to the beat of _Big Iron_. He shook his head slightly, but didn't speak.

After a few minutes of walking, Adam stopped and dropped to a low crouch. He grabbed Audrey's arm and pulled her down before she could walk past him. He reached for her PipBoy and shut off the radio.

"See them, Booth?" He glanced at her, then back to what had caught his attention; two Powder Gangers, keeping watch on the road. Neither had seen them yet.

Audrey nodded. Her hand reached for her pistol, but Adam put his hand on her arm to stop her.

He pulled out his binoculars and looked down towards the Powder Gangers. There were only two, but both were armed. A few bushes lay between them and him, offering very limited cover.

It would be easier for him to end this at distance than up close - he didn't trust Audrey not to rush in again. Distance would also be advantageous if they were armed with dynamite. He doubted they could throw this far.

But the combat knife on his belt called to him. His heart began to race. The convicts were far enough apart. He'd fought in closer quarters before, against men with more skill and better equipment. His hand reflexively gripped the knife's handle.

An image of cold blue eyes flashed across his mind. He closed his own and forced himself to pull out his rifle.

He took aim at the closer of the two convicts. He could feel those damn eyes watching him, even when they weren't.

He pulled the trigger.

The first conflict dropped to the ground. The other whipped around. Adam aimed again and fired. He dropped as well.

Adam stood, and Audrey followed as he strode over to the bodies. He fished through the first convict's pockets, and pulled out a handful of caps and a few sticks of dynamite. He frowned, but stashed the dynamite in his bag.

He glanced at Audrey, and noticed she had her paper out, and facing him.

_'Impressive shots.'_

"Thanks." The excitement he'd felt before had soured into resentment.

He searched the other convict and found some water and a half empty case of 9mm bullets. He kept the water and gave the bullets to Audrey.

"Let's keep moving." He sighed. "We should reach Primm before nightfall. We don't want to be here when their friends find them. Who knows if they know about what we did to Cobb." He waited when he saw her reach for the pencil and paper.

_'Good. I need to talk to Johnson Nash.'_

* * *

Audrey sighed softly at the absence of the radio as they walked. After the encounter with the Gangers, Adam told her to keep it off for the rest of the trip. He'd cited Vipers as the reason, and she listened. The word sounded familiar, but its meaning eluded her.

She tried very hard to remember, up until Adam stopped them again, this time pulling her to the ground quicker and completely.

"Perfect timing." He grumbled under his breath. "There's some Vipers up ahead." He turned to her. "Lesson one in taking out raiders without dying: Look for their leader." He handed her the binoculars. "Often times the leader is the one who's beaten the odds the longest, so they'll be the hardest to kill. If you take them out first, it makes things easier on you and harder on them. Most of the time."

Audrey took the binoculars. She could only see a group of three people. The vague worry in her head turned to real worry. Vipers were raiders. A vicious group.

Each one was covered in dirt and paint, with shoddy armor made from scraps. One had a pool cue in hand. She glanced down at her vault suit and frowned.

Then, a woman stepped out from around the corner of the building. She was heavily tattooed and decidedly cleaner than the others, with two mow hawks. Through the binoculars she could see a small plastic item in her hand. The woman's eyes were wide. She wore nearly pristine combat armor, only tarnished by a layer of dark red.

Adam gently took the binoculars and looked through them.

"Yep. That one. I'd bet caps that's their leader." He pulled out his rifle and aimed down his sights. "Looks like Jet in her hand."

Audrey watched him.

He raised the rifle and pulled the trigger. The woman's head snapped back, and she fell backwards. The other three Vipers jumped up, searching for the assailant. Adam stood and readied to fire again. Audrey pulled her pistol and took aim as well. When she pulled the trigger, her hand shook and she missed.

Adam hit another of the Vipers in the chest, and he dropped.

Audrey realized as he dropped that there was only one Viper standing. _Where was the Viper with the pool cue?_

She turned and saw him running for Adam, who was lining up a shot at the other raider. She raised her pistol and fired twice.

Both bullets hit the raider in the chest, just as Adam fired a shot. The raider fell.

Adam fired again, and the last raider fell, too. He turned to look at the one Audrey'd shot.

"Not bad."

Audrey felt herself start to turn red. Not _bad_? Hadn't she just saved him from an ambush?

Adam searched the raiders like he had the convicts, and handed her some of the loot. The water bottle he handed her clicked under her PipBoy, but she'd settle for anything in the heat. She took a small drink.

"Hey Booth!"

She glared at Adam as he stood over the corpse of the Vipers' leader. He waved at her to come over, and she did, stomping as she walked.

She looked down, and noticed he'd removed the armor from her body. Her stomach twisted.

"This might fit you." He gestured to the armor, still covered in blood. She backed up. Shook her head.

"It's perfectly good armor, just needs a good cleaning."

She shook her head again, feeling sick.

"Fine." He packed it up and shoved it into the pack on his back. "But you can't just walk around in that vault suit forever. It's a big blue and yellow target on your back."

She glared at him, and turned to keep walking.

" _Hey_!" Adam shouted behind her. She slowed, and he caught up to her. He didn't say anything, and she didn't write anything for him.

* * *

Tensions dulled by the time they reached the outskirts of Primm. Adam noticed tents, and the NCR standard flying, and felt a surge of warmth. Maybe he knew whoever was stationed here.

The warmth fled when he realized the NCR presence meant bad news, or at least inconveniences.

As they approached, a soldier ran towards them.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? Primm is off limits!"

Adam stood as straight as he could and looked the man in the eye.

"What's going on in Primm?" He asked. The soldier's stature waivered.

"S-Some convicts from the prison up the road have taken over the town. Everyone inside is either dead or in hiding." Adam opened his mouth to interrupt, but he kept going. "What's more, there are two tribes of raiders causing trouble in this area as well. You'd be safer heading back up to Goodsprings." He nodded towards Audrey, who didn't seem to notice.

"What's your name soldier?" Adam asked.

"Corporal Tate." He looked up, and saw the green beret perched on top of Adam's head. "Sir." He added.

"Well, Corporal, let me enlighten you. My name's Wes. Ranger Wes. And I don't need your permission to go anywhere. So you turn around, talk to your superior officer and let him know that the situation is as good as handled."

"Yes sir." The soldier ran off towards the tents. Adam smirked and turned to Audrey, who had been paying attention to the exchange.

"Let's go, while he's flustered." He marched forward.

He passed a couple of posted guards, but neither seemed to care about their presence.

As they arrived at the overpass into town, Adam stopped. He held his arm out to stop Audrey from walking further.

"They laid out land mines to keep the convicts in town." He pointed one out and cracked his knuckles. "Stay back."

He approached both quickly, and disarmed them easily. Audrey joined him on the other side of the bridge as he pulled out his binoculars.

He could see three convicts on patrol inside the town, and a body up against a building on the right. He hoped it wasn't this Johnson Nash person Audrey needed to talk to.

"Okay. So, here's the plan."


	4. Echoes of the Past

The sky had begun to darken as the plan fell into place.

It wasn't much of a plan, really. Adam was going to use the shadows to sneak up on the convicts. She was supposed to keep watch for more convicts and investigate the body beside one of the buildings to the north. Once the lookouts were down, she and Adam would search the buildings for survivors, or more convicts.

Adam had run off already, in a low crouch with his knife drawn. From where she stood, she could see one lookout, carrying what looked to be a long barreled shotgun. She snuck along the wall at a crouch and moved towards the body. It lay in front of a building marked Mojave Express. She remembered it from the note about her package. Johnson Nash's residence and business, and her only source of knowledge about her stolen package.

She stopped in front of the body and grimaced. It was obvious he'd been dead a couple of days. She tried to ignore the smell and sifted through his pockets. She found a slip of paper, one much like her own, and read it. He'd been a courier too, one who finished his package. She frowned. At least she knew he wasn't Nash.

She looked around for Adam, and didn't see him. She couldn't see the convict, either. She looked at the door to the building and reached for the handle. It was unlocked. She opened it and slipped inside.

* * *

Adam watched the blood drip off of his combat knife. The two convicts that were watching the street lay in front of him, their blood mingling in single pool. His chest heaved as he panted. The adrenaline was still coursing through him. They'd put up a good fight, but not good enough. Phantom cheers echoed in his ears before he could block them out. He scowled and crouched down, wiping the blood off on the convict's clothes. He could feel the eyes on him, even though he knew that Audrey was the only person in a position to see him.

As he stood, he silently cursed. His clothes were spattered with blood. He rubbed his face, and cursed aloud when he saw little streaks of red on his palm. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wet it with a bit of water from his canteen and wiped the little bit of blood from his face. It was all he could do to clean up. He figured the townspeople, if any had survived, would be more trusting if he didn't have convict blood on his face. And he didn't want Audrey to see him like that, either. It would complicate things and they still had a long way to go before Freeside.

He looked up towards the building he'd seen the dead body in front of, the one he'd asked Booth to investigate while he took care of the convict's lookouts. He saw the body, but Audrey was nowhere to be seen. He felt the blood drain from his face. He moved towards the building quickly, his head on a swivel. She was _supposed_ to be keeping watch.

He noticed the door to the building, and grabbed the handle. He opened the door forcefully.

The room was dim, and getting dimmer as the sun went down. There was a sole candle on a table. A sizeable pool of wax lay around it and the candle was close to burning itself out.

On the front desk, there was an eyebot, and Audrey was standing in front of it, inspecting it so intently she hadn't noticed him.

" _Booth_."

She froze.

"What the fuck? What happened to keeping watch?"

She shrugged. Adam growled under his breath and came around the table to stand in front of her.

"If you run off like that, I'm likely to just leave you, deal or not." He looked down at the eyebot, and paused. Enclave, for sure, but this one was patched with scrap metal. It was more scrap metal than _eyebot_.

He looked at it and rubbed his beard, forgetting Audrey for a moment. Maybe it had information on it. He gently knocked Audrey's hands out of the way before taking it apart. Fixable, for sure. But should he?

He looked at the weapon attached to it; an intact laser. It might be useful, if it didn't recognize him as an enemy and fire at him.

He decided it might be worth the risk, _after_ they searched the other buildings.

They stepped outside and looked between the two remaining buildings.  
"The casino looks promising. The Bison Steve probably has the rest of the convicts. Too many rooms for survivors to cover." Audrey nodded. Adam sighed.

"Okay. Check the casino. I'll take the Bison Steve."

* * *

Much to Audrey's surprise and glee, the Vikki and Vance Casino was full of townspeople. The gun in front of her face was a much bigger surprise.

Her hands shot up. Behind the gun was an old weathered man. His eyes studied her face before grabbing her arm and pulling her inside.

"Are you crazy, girl? There's Gangsters about." He chastised her. She stared at him with wide eyes as she tried to calm her racing pulse.

"Girl? You listening to me?" She blinked, and realized he'd been talking and she hadn't paid attention and missed every word. She quickly reached for her pad and pencil. "You're a courier, right? What's your name, girl?"

She wrote her name out for him. He squinted as he read it.

"I recognize you, but not your name. You got your papers on ya?" She handed him the invoice and he read it over. "Right. Courier Six."

_'My package was stolen. Can you give me any information about it?'_

"I'll tell you whatever I can. Do you have a delivery order you can show me?"

She handed him her paper.

"Oh, so you're talking about one of _them_ packages. That job had strange written all over it. But we couldn't turn down the caps."

_'Strange? How?'_

"That cowboy robot had us hire six couriers." Audrey felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of a cowboy robot. Victor, perhaps? "Each was carrying something a little different. A pair of dice, a chess piece, that kind of stuff. Last word I had from the office, it looked like payment had been received for the other five jobs. Guess it was just your chip that didn't make it. _First_ deadbeat we hired to do the job canceled. Hope a storm from the Divide skins him alive. Well, that's where you came in."

Audrey nodded, and scribbled out her next question.

_'A man in a checkered suit stole it. Did they pass this way?'_

"Now hold on. I'm givin' you quite a bit of information, here. I'd like a little something in return."

_'What do you need?'_

"Them Powder Gangsters got our deputy locked up in the Bison Steve. Be nice to get him out of there... but this town's gonna need some real law." Nash shook his head. "One of the first things them punks did when they came in was to kill our sheriff. You find us a new one and we can talk." Audrey sighed and nodded. She and Nash shook on it.

Just as their hands separated, the doors to the Vikki and Vance flew open, and a man stumbled in, followed by Adam. Nash and the other residents raised their guns.

Audrey waved her hands at Nash, hoping he would understand and not shoot.

"Deputy Beagle, I'll be damned." Nash whispered.

"The one and only." Adam huffed. "Man's lousy in a fight. I've got no idea how he even became a deputy." Adam turned to her as the deputy stood up and straightened his clothes.

"I am not ' _lousy_ ' in a fight. You didn't leave any for me to shoot!"

Adam ignored him and walked up to her.

"Did you find out anything?" Audrey grabbed her paper.

_'Found out about my package. Gotta restore the Law to find out more.'_

Adam nodded.

"Can't Beagle just be sheriff? He's next in line."

"Oh, no. I'm just a deputy." Beagle shook his head. "I can't be a deputy without a sheriff. It's called chain of command."

"I've had enough of him for a while." Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. "The NCR's nearby. I'll have a word with them and see what can be done."

Audrey nodded, just glad to be one step closer to finding her chip.

"Nash." Adam turned to the trader. "Wanted to ask you about the robot in your office."

"That pile of junk? I was hoping to fix it up for some courier work… what about it?"

"I can fix it, but if I do I'd like to keep it. I'd say it's a fair trade, with us fixing this mess." Johnson nodded.

"Fine by me. It's yours."

"Be right back." Adam turned and walked out. Audrey sat against a wall and watched Primm Slimm walk around until her eyes got tired. She let herself fall asleep.

She woke quickly when the casino doors opened again, and Adam strolled through with the busted robot under his arm.

"Lieutenant Hayes agreed to take the town under his wing, on the condition that we get him some backup. We'll be heading to the Mojave Outpost next, so he'll get what he needs and you'll get your protection." Nash nodded.

"Alright." Audrey stood up and walked over. Nash looked at her. "A few nights back one of the townies was out scavenging for supplies. He said he saw a fella with a daisy suit come through with some of them Great Khan misfits. They was talking about a chip. I'd bet them's your men. As far as I know, Beagle was takin' notes on them. He'd be your best bet."

Adam nodded quickly.

"That must be what this holotape is, then. He… _dropped_ it in the Bison Steve." Adam handed it to Audrey. She held it tightly. "Well, we'd best get going." Nash nodded.

"Thanks for all your help." Audrey smiled at him and waved as they left.

As the doors closed, Adam adjusted the beret on his head before shifting the robot to his other arm.

"Let's give it a listen, then."

Audrey popped it into her PipBoy. Deputy Beagle's voice played over her speakers.

_"This is most unusual! The Powder Gangers have visitors today. I guess there's a first for everything! …Now those tough-looking fellows must be Great Khans. I recognize those funny helmets and leather vests from stories I've heard... So what are they doing with that dapper gentleman who wears a checked suit? I wouldn't mind a suit like that. They're talking about heading south toward Nipton, then west to Novac where they'll meet up with someone... I guess I c-"_

Audrey ejected the holotape and handed it to Adam. He took it and pocketed it.

"Nipton and Novac, then. Good, both are on the way to Freeside." They walked across the bridge again and headed on towards the Mojave Outpost.

A heavy silence settled between them. Audrey didn't bother with her radio. She could see ants in the distance, scurrying across the desert by the road. She knew she hated them as soon as she saw them, but she couldn't remember why.

"I was walking." Adam said, breaking the silence. Audrey turned to look at him. His brows drew in as he spoke. "Out for a walk, I mean. The night you were shot. I'd had a whiskey, was getting ready to sleep it off on Sunny's couch." Audrey stared at him, a little shocked by his unprompted speech. She felt like the world was spinning around her as she walked. She hoped she wouldn't fall over.

"I'd seen you in the saloon less than an hour before. You were at a corner booth, alone, and you only stayed long enough to eat. I didn't give you a second thought." He looked over at her. "But I heard voices. It was dark, but the moon… it was just bright enough to make out the figures on the hill, some standing, one kneeling. I watched, almost turned away- but I heard the gunshots." He stared at the horizon in front of him, engrossed in the words. "I pulled out my rifle and ran for the cemetery. I fired a couple of warning shots. They spooked and ran. When I got up to the top, I saw the grave. You were in it, sprawled out, with dirt on your chest. They'd barely started to bury you." He took a breath. "I didn't hear Victor behind me. Once I saw you were still breathing I picked you up, and he took you right from my arms, and flew down the hill faster than I would have been able to." He half-chuckled. "Saved your life more than I did. If it was me who took you to Doc Mitchell, I doubt you'd have made it."

Audrey glanced down at her feet. She wondered why he felt the need to tell her, but found she was grateful that he had.

"Well. Uh." Adam turned a light shade of red. "L-Let's keep moving."

* * *

Audrey could see something large in the distance as they neared this "Mojave Outpost" Adam had been talking about. It looked like giant people, whatever it was.

"Look, there." Adam pointed in the direction of the statue. "That's the statue. It's an NCR soldier and a Ranger shaking hands. It's the biggest statue I've seen this far East."

Audrey huffed. She wasn't particularly impressed.

"We'll have to go through Nipton to get to Novac." Adam looked off into the distance as they walked up the road to the outpost. "We shouldn't stay there overnight." Audrey gave him a funny look and cocked her head to the side. He glanced at her. "Nipton isn't great. Sure, it's a thriving town with places to stay and stores to stock up, but it's…" he paused, "just full of people who want things from you, and they aren't shy about it. And on top of that, the mayor's a fucking sleezeball." Adam huffed. "I haven't been there since I was on my way back to Goodsprings from my last tour with the NCR. He tried to offer me a position as his personal bodyguard… and, let's just say he wasn't going to pay me in _caps_."

Audrey wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she didn't press further. Instead, she nodded, and hoped they could make good time between Nipton and Novac, enough to avoid camping out.

"We'll stop at the store and resupply, and just cut on through." Adam nodded, a small smile across his lips. "We'll stay at the outpost, then we can hit the general store in Nipton and cut through. There's a hotel in Novac we can stay at, too. The beds there are a hundred times better than any in Nipton. Heck, I'd take a bunk at the outpost over a Nipton bed any day."

They reached the top of the hill, and saw the outpost was full of caravan brahmin.

Adam looked up, and grinned a little.

"Go in the building there that's closest to us, there on the left, and get some food. I'm going to go see an old friend."

* * *

Adam walked up the ramp to the roof with a grin on his face. It'd been at least a year or two since he'd seen Ranger Ghost.

"I'll be damned." She spoke when he reached the top. "Wes, how've you been?"

"Been fine. Ranger life treating you okay?" Ghost nodded, but turned warily towards the Mojave.

"There's been smoke up 'round Nipton." She pointed to the horizon. "Started early this morning. Got me worried."

Adam stepped up next to her and looked. Sure enough, there was a smoke cloud, in the direction of Nipton. He sighed.

"Fuck. I'm heading that way tomorrow with a greenhorn." Ghost turned to him.

"Would you mind checking it out, letting me know what's going on?" Adam closed his eyes. The day's events were really starting to give him a headache. "You know you still owe me that favor."

"Okay, _okay_ , fine." He rubbed his face. "We'll check it out and I'll get back to you." He'd just leave Booth at the hotel while he ran back to relay the all's clear, if everything was fine. He wanted to believe everything was fine.

"I appreciate it, Wes." Ghost nodded. "Go downstairs and get yourself cleaned up and fed. You look like shit."

Adam scoffed, but didn't have a retort. He walked down the ramp and headed for the front office. He had things that needed done first.

Adam stepped out of the main office a while later. Reinforcements would be on their way to Primm soon, which fulfilled his end of the deal with Lieutenant Hayes.

He marched over to the barracks and walked inside.

Besides Lacey the bartender and a redhead in a straw hat, the bar side was empty. Adam walked around the corner, and spotted Audrey sprawled out on one of the bunks, already asleep. He shook his head and walked back to the bar.

He pulled the eyebot out of his bag and set it on the counter.

"What'cha got there, soldier-boy?" He looked up to see the redhead staring at him from the end of the bar.

"Pet project." He replied, turning back to it and opening it up to take a look.

"Oh." He pulled a few things from his bag and got to work jury-rigging and replacing the broken parts. "Havin' fun?" Adam shrugged. He ignored her as she stood up and wobbled over to where he was sitting. She sat next to him and took a long drink of whatever was in her bottle - whiskey, if he had to guess.

She watched him work for a while; Her and the bartender both did. Lacey leaned against the counter as she did, a disinterested look on her face.

"If that thing starts spouting Enclave bullshit, I'm gonna put a bullet in it." She warned, turning to reach for something under the bar.

"You and me both."

Just as he finished splicing some wires together, the bot jumped to life. It didn't spout propaganda, but it did beep a few times. Adam put the casing back together and let the bot hover.

He expected it to wander the room, look for an exit, like any other eyebot. It didn't; It stayed in front of him. He pointed the bot towards Audrey and told it to hover near her. He figured in a room full of soldiers she'd be fine if anything were to happen. The bot beeped and floated in the direction he pointed.

"Well, damn." The redhead turned to him. "Buy me a whiskey and we'll split it. To celebrate." He turned to look at her. She smirked at him. Her blue eyes locked on his and made his spine tingle.

"Sure." He grinned, and paid Lacey for a bottle. She set it and two shot glasses in front of him.

"Name's Cass." The redhead poured into both glasses and took one for herself. Adam took the other.

"Adam Wes." They clinked their glasses together. Adam tossed his back. As he set down his glass to pour another, he saw Cass had already done so and was going for another. He poured a shot and drank it quickly.

Cass grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. He stumbled off the barstool and shakily onto his feet. She tasted strongly of whiskey, but not unpleasantly. Adam felt his head swimming at the few shots he'd had.

"For Christ's sake, Cass! Get the hell out of my bar if you're gonna be doin' that." Cass pulled away and flipped Lacey off. Adam shook his head and grinned.

"Come on. Let's blow this joint and find somewhere a little more… _private_." Cass raised her eyebrows at him. He nodded and followed her past the barracks and into an empty room with a couch. He closed the door behind them.

Cass pulled him forward by his belt loops and grinned. He slid his hands under her shirt and up her back. He could feel all the tension and stress he'd been holding onto slowly melt away.

"You sure about this?" He pressed his lips to her neck.

"Just shut up and kiss me." He let Cass pull him into a deep kiss.


	5. As the Bull Flies

The smoke on the horizon sparked a hollow feeling and a slight tremble in Adam's stomach and limbs as they walked towards Nipton. Smoke in front of them, directly in their path. Ghost had asked him to look into it, since it was on their way…

He knew he'd talked himself into an all-exclusive pass to some version of Hell when he agreed.

He'd allowed himself to be a bit too naive in thinking it would be as easy as leaving Audrey at the hotel and running the 'all's clear' message back himself.

Adam glanced to Audrey beside him. She'd seen the smoke too, and her eyes were wide under close-drawn eyebrows. She kept close to him, and the eyebot followed behind them.

Adam held his rifle close.

As the town grew nearer, Adam could see a single silhouette emerging in the distance. A dark smoke cloud hung above, covering the whole area in a gloomy shadow. A bitter ashy taste coated and clung to his tongue.

The silhouette he'd seen came closer, and was soon revealed to be that of a Powder Ganger. Adam's hand jumped to his weapon. The eyebot beeped in alarm.

"Hell yeah!" A scratchy voice shouted. "I won the mother _fuckin_ ' lottery!" He approached, then ran straight past the three of them as if he'd not seen them.

"What lottery?!" Adam shouted back, but received no definitive answer. Audrey's eyes peered at him through a thin veil of fear.

They pushed on towards the town, despite every reflex telling Adam to _run_. Every instinct screamed trap, every muscle tensed in anticipation for the fight of his life. He had an idea of what might be happening, and he desperately hoped he was wrong.

"Audrey," his throat felt dry as he spoke, "go into the general store. I'll be right behind you."

She looked up at him as he spoke. He noted that most of the color had drained from her face.

She nodded and headed for the door. The eyebot stayed beside him, and for the first time he was grateful for its presence.

Adam forced his feet onward towards the center of town. The eyebot followed.

Rows of Powder Gangers and townspeople hung from telephone-pole crosses. Across from him, beside a pile of tires lit with flames taller than he was, stood a tattered standard. A golden bull, surrounded by maroon. His heart beat faster in his chest.

 _The standard of Caesar's Legion_.

* * *

Audrey opened the door to the general store quickly, hoping to find the store keeper behind their counter, surrounded by supplies.

Instead, there was blood. Terror fled up from her feet to her chest. Her lungs felt frozen. She inhaled sharply and stumbled back.

A Powder Ganger lay in a pool of his own blood, his pants torn and only barely concealing a beating which surely resulted in his death.

Her breath found her again in the form of short, sharp inhalations. She turned towards the door.

Footsteps echoed behind her. Against her instincts, she turned to see the source.

A man dressed in red and wearing a dog's head upon his own walked down the stairs, slowly. He stepped down to the floor and smirked at her. Her blood ran cold at the sight of his clothes, at his reptilian smile. The red he wore unsettled her stomach, and made her feel nauseated. She didn't understand why, only that she was in danger.

"Don't worry, little profligate. I won't kill you. It's… _useful_ that you stopped by."

She dared not pull out her paper, for fear her movement might be misconstrued as a threat, and because she knew her fingers would tremble far too much to write.

The man waited for a few seconds, studying her, before he spoke again.

"I want you to witness what has become of this town. Let it seep into your mind, each detail. And then, when you move on? Spread the lesson taught here by Caesar's Legion to _all_ you meet."

Audrey made no move to acknowledge his words. She was frozen stiff with fear.

Her silence seemed to pique the man's interest. He approached, each step sending a sharp and cold sensation up her spine.

He reached forward and grabbed her jaw with his hand. She couldn't even flinch.

He tilted her head to either side and clicked his tongue.

"Too scared to speak?" He let go of her jaw, but brushed his fingers up the stitching that ran along her hairline. "Or is it something else?" He grinned, and withdrew his arm back to his side. He leaned in closer to her, his lips inches away from her ear. "Whatever the case… _silence suits you_." He slipped past her and left.

The door closed loudly. She stood silently for a few brief seconds, still in shock. Her hand shook as she put it over her mouth. Tears came quickly and she struggled to contain her sobs.

Audrey flung herself against the opposite side of a low wall and curled up tight.

* * *

Adam stood in the middle of the street, facing the town hall.

Aside from the man they'd met on the road into town, Adam knew that no one in town had survived. The people strung up on crosses still breathed, but he knew he couldn't save them. He turned quickly, aware that Audrey was alone and waiting for him and that the Legion might not have moved on as quickly as it appeared.

He was not more than fifty yards from the general store when _he_ walked out. Adam's limbs went rigid at the sight of the frumentarius.

" _Ave, Crocea Mors_." Adam drew his rifle immediately and aimed for his head. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

" _Don't_ call me that!" The frumentarius grinned crookedly.

"What would you have me call you, hmm? The profligate name to which you cling so tightly?" He stood still, arms remaining at his sides. Adam glared down his sights. His blood, a steady pounding stream in his ears, dulled the voice, but he knew it. He'd been wrong to think he was safe, even six years later.

" _Give me_ one _fucking_ reason why I _shouldn't end you, right now!_ "

"Because I am not alone," he grinned darkly, "and neither are _you_."

The blood drained from Adam's face. His hands went numb and he nearly dropped his rifle as he stumbled into a run.

"I swear if you-" He shouted as he ran for the store.

"She's unharmed… for _now_." Adam passed him. "You have good taste. She'd make an excellent slave." He ignored the comment, too preoccupied to completely understand what had been said.

Adam threw open the door to the general store. He saw the Powder Ganger.

" _Audrey?!_ " His head whipped around as his eyes searched the room frantically. He could hear crying. He followed the sound around the back counter, and saw her. She was curled up on the floor, crying into her lap. He dropped to his knees. "Audrey-" he sighed in relief, "Audrey, look at me-" She lifted her head from her lap. Besides her face being red from crying, she looked unharmed. Adam sat next to her and took a deep breath to try to calm himself down.

"Damn it." He spoke under his breath. "The whole town… I didn't care much for this place but _nobody_ deserves that."

Audrey continued to cry. Adam felt a little powerless; there wasn't anything he could do. He shook his head, angry at himself for thinking sending her to the general store was a good idea.

He rubbed his face in frustration. Damn frumentarius, damn Legion, always just around the corner. Hiding in plain sight, watching, waiting to strike.

"Let's get out of here." He said softly, before climbing to his feet. Audrey looked up at him. Her eyes were heavily bloodshot, and her face an inconsistent red. He offered her his hands and she took them, hesitantly. He slowly lead her outside, into the sun.

The scent of death lingered outside. Smoke, and burnt flesh, and burning rubber. It was no better than when he'd stepped into town minutes before.

"We're going back to the outpost." He said. "I have to tell Ghost. A Legion attack this far west means trouble. She'll make sure the information makes it to the right people." He glanced at Audrey. She only nodded. Her eyes never strayed from the ground in front of her feet.

* * *

Adam stayed quiet for the walk back to the Mojave Outpost, and Audrey didn't try to initiate a conversation. It was a faster trip than when they'd first walked to town. Neither her nor Adam wanted to chance another encounter with the man wearing a dogs head, it seemed.

Audrey shuddered at the memory of him standing across the room. The red, his outfit - it was significant, and meant something to her, beyond danger. She couldn't remember why no matter how hard she tried. Audrey wanted to tear out her hair, dig down into her brain to pull the memories out herself.

When they arrived, Adam went straight to the barracks roof. He didn't stay long, and the two of them went inside. Adam sat himself down at the bar and ordered a bottle of vodka. Audrey turned back to the beds and lied down.

She could see him from the bunk she'd chosen. His head hung low. He drank from the bottle, not from a glass. She flipped over and stared at the wall. No matter what she did, she couldn't stop thinking about Nipton. Tears flooded her eyes again. They'd have to pass through Nipton tomorrow, and all of those horrors would still be there, waiting for her. Would the man in red be waiting, too?

She covered her face and cried into her arms.

A beep sounded. Audrey uncovered her eyes, and looked to the side. The robot Adam had fixed was hovering close to her. She looked it over.

The letters ED-E were printed on scrap metal that patched the eyebot's chassis. She reached out and felt them. Her fingers bumped over each one.

Adam referred to it as 'the eyebot'. Audrey pursed her lips. 'The eyebot' wasn't a very good name for something with so much personality.

She resolved to call him ED-E.

Someone shuffled into the room. She turned to see Adam stumble over to a bunk and face-plant into the mattress. She looked to ED-E, then pointed at Adam. ED-E beeped, and flew forward towards him.

"Ffuck, get out of here stupid bot-" she heard Adam slur. Confident that Adam was in good care, she flipped over onto her opposite side and closed her eyes. She tried not to think about the man from the general store.

* * *

By noon Adam and Audrey were back on the road, on their way to Nipton. Despite the horrors of the day before, Adam decided the safest route would be through town. He was sure the frumentarius had taken his forces and left, likely to inform Caesar of their success. Any scorpions in the area, however, had no such plans.

They avoided the general store on their way into the area, and walked on towards the main road.

Adam looked around. The crosses still stood, occupied by living corpses. Still alive after three days - barely alive, and only aware of their own pain. Adam, Audrey, and the eyebot passed under them unnoticed.

Adam gently held Audrey's arm as they passed. She kept her eyes to the ground.

The tire fires were still lit, and although much smaller than the day before, still spewed black smoke.

Adam surveyed the area as they passed through, nervous and now unsure of his assumption that the Legion had left. His eyes lingered on the shadows, waiting for a figure to jump out.

No such figure did.

Adam and Audrey reached the edge of town, stepping past an old sign that read ' _Welcome to Nevada_ '. Adam let out the breath he was holding. Audrey looked over at him and smiled a small smile.

The pair followed the road forward. Adam tensed as cliffs rose on either side of them. A perfect place for an ambush.

He kept his eyes on the ridges around them. Audrey walked ahead, kicking pebbles with her feet.

"Booth-" He opened his mouth to warn her. She kicked a rock, turned to face him. It hit some debris ahead. The ground shook as something ahead of them exploded. Both were thrown to the ground. Adam's ears rung loudly. He tried to rise quickly. His arms burned. His back burned. A few figures appeared ahead, some on the cliffs and one ahead of them.

Audrey lay on the ground ahead of him, her back facing him. She moved, but didn't get up. He scrambled towards her as he felt a bullet whiz past him.

"Audrey?" He grabbed her shoulder and shook her. She didn't stir.

Another bullet flew past, hitting the dirt somewhere behind them. He scooped Audrey up and sprinted for the cliff wall. He laid her upright against it, then drew his rifle. He fired off rounds at the first figures he could see. None hit their mark.

"Eyebot, stay here and protect Booth." He growled. It beeped at him.

He paused to survey the scene. Three assailants, all on the ridges above the road. He put his scope to his eye. A bullet hit the rock above and showered them in dust and pebbles. He put the shooter's head in his crosshairs and fired.

The raider fell forward. Adam could barely see the body fall over the cliff face.

He heard a whistle. There was no time to react as a grenade hit somewhere ahead of him. Dust and rocks flew into the air. His ears rang again.

"A _grenade_ launcher…" he grumbled, "How the fuck did these losers get their hands on a _grenade launcher?_ " He raised his rifle again and aimed for the second raider he could see. He pulled the trigger just as another grenade hit. The debris obscured his vision. He couldn't see if he'd hit his target.

He stood up and ran for the next closest cover, an old vehicle he knew he couldn't use for long.

Adam quickly glanced back at Audrey. She was still slumped against the rock wall, but her arm was now slung over her lap instead of resting at her side. The eyebot was hovering above her. Adam turned back to the road ahead and scoured the cliffs for any sign of the bastard with the grenade launcher. He caught sight of a bit of smoke ahead of him. He heard the whistle. His cover too big a target, Adam ran forward towards the opposite wall of the small canyon. The grenade hit the vehicle, sending up a cloud of dirt and shrapnel and rocking it slightly. Adam aimed his scope at the outcropping the grenades originated from. A man, near his age, and a grenade launcher he looked to be cursing. Adam lined up the shot, and fired.

It hit the grenade launcher and ricocheted off. The raider looked up, saw the source of the bullet, and aimed the launcher in Adam's direction.

Adam's heart raced. He put the raider's head in his crosshairs. His finger squeezed the trigger. He barely heard the whistle as his legs jumped into action. The grenade hit the wall where Adam was. He was thrown forward onto the pavement. The raider fell to his knees, and flipped off the edge.

Adam struggled to his feet. He lowered his weapon. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. He no longer heard ringing, but his ears felt thick and sounds were still muffled.

He scanned the area, and found all three targets eliminated. He sighed harshly and slumped to the ground by Audrey, and stared at the bus ahead of them.

"What a fuckin' day…" he grumbled.

Something pressed up against his back, and his spine shot straight up. He turned, and relaxed when he saw a mess of brown hair over his shoulder. He let out a sigh of relief.

"You okay, Booth? You had me worried for a while there." He waited for her to acknowledge him. Besides breathing, she stayed still. "Booth?" He turned more. Audrey pulled away from him as he moved. " _Booth_."

She looked up at him blankly. She seemed dazed.

"Can you hear me?" He spoke, worry starting to bubble up from his stomach. "Booth? Don't play games with me." He reached and took her face in his hands, running his eyes over the blood smeared across her temple, and a scrape on the right side of her jaw. Road rash, and maybe a few broken stitches. He checked her arms, and found the same. It would all have to wait for now. There would be a doctor in Novac, not the best, but better than he could do. " _Can you hear me?_ "

He looked down and saw that his arm was covered in scrapes, too. They stung and burned as he withdrew his arms to his sides. His face did, too.

"Great." He mumbled. Who knew what awaited them further up the road, before they reached Novac? Maybe there were more raiders. Maybe the Legion group that hit Nipton was headed for Novac next, and they would arrive right in the thick of things, injured and half-deaf. Maybe even full-deaf, in her case. At least the eyebot could fight.

Audrey's hands grabbed the front of his shirt and startled him out of his thoughts.

"… Booth?" He watched her pull him to her, and felt her put her ear to his chest. He froze, tensing up. "Audrey. What the hell are you-" She pulled away, looking around. "What-" He spotted her pack, laying where he'd forgotten it in the heat of the fight. Audrey saw it too, and scrambled for it. She grabbed it, dug through until she found her notepad. Adam breathed a sigh of relief. She sat on her knees. He waited.

Audrey walked back towards him. She held her notepad out for him to read. Adam was almost afraid to see what she had to say. He looked anyways.

_'You okay?'_

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He looked down at his feet, the unease slowly leaving him. He was in pain, but any wounds he had were superficial. He'd survived much worse. He looked around. "We need to get out of this canyon."

Audrey nodded. Adam suddenly felt very embarrassed as he realized she had only had temporary loss of hearing, as he had when the mine went off. He turned to follow the road again, but headed toward a body that had tumbled to the ground.

He searched the body, but found little of use. The tire iron she'd carried over the edge with her was too heavy, and her armor, which Adam recognized as that worn by the Vipers, was too torn. The 10mm pistol was beyond repair, but he pocketed the bullets.

He stood up and turned back to Audrey, who was only a few feet away. She didn't look at him, but ahead, towards where the road exited the canyon. He frowned.

What if she _had_ been permanently deaf? It was obvious she couldn't read lips. If she had been deaf and mute, there was no way Adam could communicate with her.

He blinked as he recalled Doc Mitchell's voice.

_…old pre-war book… pre-war language… used by the deaf n' mute…_

The book. He'd completely forgotten about it. He'd almost planned to sell it, figuring he wouldn't need it after he'd taken her to Freeside. Now it seemed priceless. He looked at Audrey, who now looked back at him.

He'd look at it when they reached Novac.

* * *

Audrey felt miserable as they walked along the railroad. Adam was a few steps ahead of her, and hadn't spoken a word to her since they left the canyon. Her arms and face ached, and her head hurt worse. She felt dirty and sweaty and the smell of blood stuck in her nostrils.

The sun sunk just below the horizon as they approached the town. Audrey stared at the statue ahead of them. Even from a distance, it looked huge, like another of the wasteland's irradiated horrors, just waiting to eat her.

Adam trudged along in front of her. Audrey thought he looked like he might be getting more tired with each step. ED-E had no issues, though, and floated along beside her.

"Thank God for the Dino-Dee-Lite," she barely heard Adam mutter.

They reached the town a while later, Audrey feeling as tired as Adam looked. He turned to her and made an effort to stand up straighter, but barely succeeded.

"Stay here, okay? I'm going to get us a room. It will only take a couple of minutes." He turned, and disappeared through a doorway. Audrey waited, only because she felt too tired to look around. ED-E stayed with her, and she smiled at him. Adam came out a few minutes later with a key. "Okay. It's the first door on the left on the upper level."

Audrey and ED-E followed him up the stairs, and into their room. It was dusty, but the bed looked heavenly and the couch, wonderful too. ED-E settled into a corner while Adam walked across the room to a door on the other side.

"There's a tub in here. Running water, too." He called to her, traces of a smile on his lips. She rushed over, notepad already in her hands.

_'DIBS'_

Adam gave her a look.

"Fine, I _guess_. Go ahead." He moved past her as she shuffled into the bathroom.

She set her notepad aside, and turned on the faucet.

Water spurted, then gushed out. She placed her hand into the water. It was warm, like the water had been sitting under the hot sun.

She plugged the drain, and undressed, before climbing into the tub. She sighed softly as she relaxed a moment, before scrubbing away the filth and blood. She finished bathing quickly, and redressed.

Audrey stepped out into the hotel room. Adam was sitting on the couch with a book in his hands. She gently tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at her.

"My turn already?" He mumbled. She nodded, and jumped when she felt him press the book into her arms. "Here." She looked down at it. Adam left for the bathroom quietly.

She took the book and sat on the bed. She opened it, and began to read.

Not long later, Adam emerged from the bathroom. Audrey glanced at him sleepily before looking back to the book. He flopped onto the couch and went to sleep.


End file.
